AT WHAT AGE SHOULD TRAINING START?

Formal obedience training - puppy training in a class situation - can start anywhere from 9 to 12 weeks of age.  Most schools like to see the pup receive a series of 2 vaccinations given before starting in a class - for the pup's protection, as well as the protection of all other pups in the class.  A Bordatella (a type of kennel cough) vaccination and negative stool sample also need to be done beforehand.

TRAINING of your puppy - the stuff you teach them at home - should start the DAY you bring your puppy home!  This does not mean training needs to be intensive right away.  Training at this stage should be done in many little lessons, in short spans of time (5-10 minutes per session).  Then it goes on from there!

Puppies and dogs learn from the instant they are born.  At first their world is small and their learning comes from their mother, other littermates, and the whelping box (their environment).  By the time they are weaned and sent on their way to new homes, they have learned a vast amount of things - all from their mom, their littermates, and from any environmental influences they had.  Hopefully, if the pup comes from a reputable breeder (or from a mixed-breed home with understanding about raising puppies), they have had a good foundation set for future learning.  This is one of the biggest reasons to purchase a pup from a knowledgeable and reputable breeder.

Learning comprises many factors:

• Socialization - positive exposure to many different people, animals, environments, surfaces, situations, sounds, etc, and teaching the pup how to best react to new things
• Innate personality - there is a set type of personality all animals and people are born with.
• Environment - an enriched environment will provide positive experiences and socialization.
• In-home work with potty training, crate training, leash & collar training, teaching appropriate stuff to chew on, your household routine, words, basic home manners.
• Training classes outside the home - where you teach your puppy the essentials of obedience commands, manners, and ability to do everything with the distraction of other people and dogs.
• Serendipity - what the up learns on his own - a huge part of early learning!

As you are reading this article, YOU are learning, but so is your dog!  What is your dog doing righ this moment?  One big thing pups learn is that when your are busy or distracted, they are free to make their own decisions, good OR bad!

                      

How to Teach a Dog To Fetch

First of all, in regards to fetching, do not expect your puppy to retrieve the ball back to you right away, as this will come with time. It is usually best that the ball also to be his toy to play with, this way he becomes attached to it and he is more likely to pick it up and carry it back to you. The ideal type of ball is made of hard rubber because soft rubber or tennis balls can be chewed up by your puppy and ingested. Ensure that the ball is not small enough for the dog to choke on, this is dangerous and can be potentially life threatening, it has happened that people have lost their dog to such a preventable event. Once you throw the ball, use the word “Fetch” to associate the command to the game, if he picks up the ball, coax him back to you and associate it with the command “here. “Always make sure the game is fun, and never force your puppy or expect him to continue the game once he tires of it. Like any child, his attention span may be very short, for tug of war take a towel or a gunny sack and gently tease the puppy with it until he shows an interest in it. See if you can deepen his or her interest in it, he/she may not make any attempt to grab it at first, but if enticed carefully, it won’t be long before he or she does. While teasing him with the towel use the words,”Take it,” be excited,get him playful so he wants to play the game, if he grabs the towel, let him have it and give him lots of praise. Keep at it until over a period of time, until you can have a good struggle over the towel, when you have him playing

with it,you will want him to learn to let go of the towel, stop struggling, hold the towel firm and still, and sharply use the command “Out” he may continue the game, but don’t comply. Command “Out” again sharply and using your forefinger over his nose and placing your thumb in the comer of his mouth between his teeth, gently separate his jaws enough to release the towel. Again repeat the command and when the towel is released, praise the dog, every time.

How Do I Train My New Dog to Stop Chasing My Cats?

Q: We have two adult cats (ages 13 and 4 -- both adopted) and recently adopted an adult dog from our local shelter who seems to be about 2-3 years old. The dog just can't seem to break that dog/cat stereotype and loves to chase the cats! We have the cats in our bedroom behind a gate but ultimately would love to have them all together. Can't we all just get along?

A: It is not unusual for a dog to want to chase another moving animal, no matter what kind it is. A basic obedience class will be your best bet, or a couple of in-home sessions with a private trainer. Your dog needs to learn to sit and down or "emergency drop" on cue, as well as "leave it" (break eye contact with) for the safety and comfort of your cats.

During the learning period, he should probably wear a house lead, so you can ensure your cats' safety and help increase compliance. Also, make sure to click and treat your dog when he's in the room and a cat moves, but he doesn't take chase. Always remember: Rewarded behavior increases in frequency. If it is more rewarding to watch than it is to chase, you should see watching increase and chasing decrease. This will probably happen over time to a certain degree as the cats' novelty wears off.

Also remember that until you really know who this dog is, do not leave the three of them alone in the same space together. The dog's arousal could go over the top to aggression and you don't want to come home to a deadly scenario.

I am assuming that your dog is just chasing in a playful manner and not trying to grab, shake and kill. If the latter is the case, you have a very dangerous situation on your hands. You then definitely need to work with an experienced professional trainer or behaviorist, and even then you may have no other choice but to re-home the dog into a cat-free environment.

How To Train A Puppy Yourself At Home

It shocks some new puppy owners when their puppy acts like, well a puppy. The little critter is a pooping machine who chews, barks, digs, cries and much more! But we still love them anyway - we just need to provide them with some direction and boundaries to follow.

If you're anything like me you probably just want to get your puppy off to the best possible start in life, and also set them up to thrive as adult dogs. Early puppy socialization and puppy training are the keys to your success as a dog owner.

Bringing a young pup into our lives is a big responsibility and commitment to fulfill. Our puppies have a long list of requirements and deadlines that must be met for their well-being and longevity. Tasks like puppy house training, crate training, puppy socialization, leash training and basic obedience  need to be addressed right from the very start.

It's important with all dog training but especially with young puppies to use lots of encouragement, praise and rewards (positive reinforcement) in your training. Start your puppy training sessions as soon as your little puppy arrives at your home - it's never too early. Set your puppy up to succeed, concentrate on developing desirable habits in your puppy and preventing undesirable behavior. It's much a better alternative to put your puppy on the right path from the start, rather than trying to correct established problem behaviors later on.

Keep your training sessions short, consistent and always have fun. The key to shaping your puppy's behavior is to start out with very easy commands, continue to build on these successes and apply heaps of repetition. Base your puppy training sessions around trust and mutual respect rather than old school methods based on punishment, avoidance and harsh corrections. In this environment you will find that your puppy loves his training sessions and his confidence will grow with each and every session.

Always remember that you are dealing with a very immature young animal. Be realistic, flexible, patient and always fair during puppy training sessions. Your puppy doesn't just automatically know this stuff! It's all new to him and he is bound to have the odd slip up and mistake along the way. Don't worry about these mistakes, just move on and do your best to prevent them in the future.

Enjoy this fantastic time in your dog's life. His puppyhood is the time where you will lay the foundation for your puppy's life. It's also where you will develop, build and strengthen the special bond you will share with your dog for life.

Dog Training Tips (Top 5)

Your approach to dog training has a big impact on the actual training results that you will get. As long as you have the right mindset about dog training, you can be sure that your puppy will grow into a well-mannered dog that you can be proud of. Aside from having the right mindset, you would also do well to follow the most useful tips and tricks of dog training. Here are the top five dog training tips that will help you mould your dog into a positive addition to your family.
1. Show your dog that you are the pack leader.
Dogs are pack animals and naturally look to their pack leader for guidance. Therefore, you will have to establish your role as pack leader in order to gain control over your dog's behaviour. Pack leaders normally control the food supply, so a good way to establish leadership would be to always feed your dog only AFTER you have eaten. You should also set a feeding schedule and stick to it.
2. Use positive reinforcement.
Dogs respond best to positive reinforcement. One of the best ways to ensure success in dog training is to reward good behaviour and ignore unwanted behaviour. This will encourage your dog to repeat those behaviours that earn him praises and treats, and refrain from exhibiting behaviours that get him nothing in return. Be careful not to use punishment in training your dog, as this will only alienate him and make him regard you as an adversary. Rewards and positive reinforcement not only help ensure success in dog training, but also helps strengthen your bond with your dog.
3. Set realistic goals.
You can't ensure the success of your training unless you have a concrete goal to start with. Of course, you will have to keep your goals realistic; otherwise, you will just be setting yourself up for failure. For example, it is okay to expect your dog to master the "sit" command in two to three days, but you can't expect him to jump through hoops within the same timeframe.
4. Learn proper timing.
Proper timing can spell the difference between success and failure, where dog training is concerned. When you see your dog sniffing and circling around, immediately give a firm NO and then lead him to the designated elimination area. If you wait until he has done his business before scolding him, he won't understand that he is not supposed to make a mess inside the house. In the same way, you should praise your dog or give him a treat the very moment he exhibits a good behaviour. This will make him understand that he has just done something that pleases you.
5. Be patient and consistent.
Stay calm even when your dog makes mistakes. Yelling and showing impatience will get you nowhere. Give your dog enough time to learn each command, and always use the same words and hand signals when you give these commands. Consistency and patience are the keys to successful dog training.